Kazan PCA 'goes into space': Ravil Ziganshin can leave Tatarstan for long

Roscosmos state corporation is going to sign a contract totalling 40 billion rubles, which has been announced for a long time, to construct Vostochny Cosmodrome in order to launch Angara rockets. The Kazan developers are already ready to land on the construction site leaving unfinished work in several infrastructural facilities in Kazan and, first of all, still closed Dubravnaya metro station and the Aquatics Palace.

Dmitry Rogozin to call for signing in August

The biggest construction company with an unclear reputation Kazan Production and Construction Association chaired by famous businessman Ravil Ziganshin has finally approached the signing of the milestone contract to erect Vostochny Cosmodrome. The state corporation's head Dmitry Rogozin announced the end of the negotiations on a multi-billion sub-contract in Moscow's Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy where Roscosmos signed a state contract with Energia Rocket and Space Corporation on 17 July to create Soyuz-5 new generation launch vehicle. According to him, it will be signed with Kazan PCA in early August as the only performer, while full-fledged construction to erect Angara launch vehicle at Vostochny cosmodrome in the middle of the month.

''The contract is ready. All meetings with Kazan PCA with a detailed explanation of works have ended. Kazan PCA has been chosen as the only performer of the work in Vostochny launch complex for Angara. I suppose we will sign this contract in early August. And we will already begin full-fledged works at Vostochny from the first decade in August,'' Director General of Roscosmos state corporation Dmitry Rogozin claimed on 17 July.

''Kazan PCA has been chosen as the only performer of the work in Vostochny launch complex for Angara,'' said Rogozin. Photo: Oleg Tikhonov

The total cost of the construction of Vostochny and Angara launch vehicles is estimated at 40 billion rubles. Angara is a family of Russian module launch vehicles with oxygen and kerosene engines including four types of carriers – light and heavy. There have been only two rockets launched until now – both from Plesetsk Cosmodrome: light-weight Angara-1.2PP was launched in July 2014, heavy-weight Angara-A5 – in December 2014. The first launch of this type of rockets is to be in the cosmodrome in Amur Oblast in 2021.

Will Kazan PCA leave Kazan?

Is Kazan PCA ready to meet these obligations on time? It's an uneasy question because the Kazan developer has already had scandals because of failing construction in many facilities: from Rainbow Residential Complex and Dubravnaya metro station to the Samara stadium – here the PCA was the latest Russian contractor general to commission the football stations by the 2018 WC. But we couldn't get official comments from Kazan PCA's press service. Press secretary Svetlana Brailovskaya was flying back after the holiday. However, the sources that are close to the company said that Ravil Ziganshin was ''ready a long time ago'' and ''understood the responsibility''. Rumour has it the enterprise's almost whole staff can leave Kazan late this July.

''There hasn't been said about it officially, but people are getting ready,'' told Realnoe Vremya's interlocutor.

Roscosmos expects the obligations are met on time. As the state corporation's press service said, the agency got a positive review of the Main Department of State Expertise of Russia for the project to construct a launch site for Angara launch vehicle at Vostochny Cosmodrome in the middle of May. The message notes the second stage of the cosmodrome was going to begin in June 2018. But it seems it was postponed because Kazan PCA hurried up to commission the Samara football stadium by the 2018 WC.

The Kazan developer has already had scandals because of failing construction in many facilities: from Rainbow Residential Complex and Dubravnaya metro station to the Samara stadium. Photo: Oleg Tikhonov

Ravil Ziganshin takes the lead

It should be reminded the government of Russia appointed Kazan PCA as contractor general to construct the second stage of Vostochny Cosmodrome as early as late 2017. Then Roscosmos state corporation Director General Igor Komarov and Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov had a kick-off meeting where they discussed how to attract the construction complex of the republic to the projects fulfilled by Roscosmos. Particularly organisational issues concerning the decision approved by the Russian president to appoint Kazan PCA as the only performer to design detailed documentation and construct Angara launch vehicle's site at Vostochny Cosmodrome. In the end, the sides agreed Kazan PCA would prepare the detailed documentation and construct Angara launch vehicle at Vostochny Cosmodrome completely on its own.

''The work on the construction of the launch site for Angara launch vehicle will allow to perform the first launch of space missiles in 2021. The total volume of investments is about 40 billion rubles,'' says Roscosmos's press service in the message.

The launch site will be built first during the second stage of the cosmodrome construction. The construction of the assembly and test site (ATS) for Angara launch vehicle will begin in 2023 and end by 2025. Soyuz-2 technical site (ATS launch vehicle and space vehicle) will be a temporary solution to store and prepare Angara launch vehicle and space vehicle for launch at Vostochny Cosmodrome. All works were untied. It's presupposed to create their own aerodrome at the cosmodrome, noted Rogozin.

The government of Russia appointed Kazan PCA as contractor general to construct the second stage of Vostochny Cosmodrome as early as late 2017. Photo: roscosmos.ru

Kazan PCA is among the leading enterprises in the construction complex of the Republic of Tatarstan specialising in industrial construction. In 2016, the company had a revenue of 13,2 billion rubles and net profit of 1,2 billion rubles. If Kazan PCA leaves Kazan in August, the last Kazan metro station Dubravnaya, unfinished houses in the 11 th quarter of Rainbow social mortgage micro district in Osinovo will remain without commissioning. What's more, it's unclear whether the Volga Region State Academy of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism will see imperfections of the Aquatics Palace to disappear, which sued Kazan PCA due to the construction defects and won.